Boys State may sound like a mere mock government exercise, but the film finds in Boys State a microcosm of American politics, one that frighteningly reflects much of the tenor of todays Washington and, in other ways, counters our more cynical grown-up government with stirring idealism. Boys State will give you both hope and fear for Americas future. Moss and McBaine were unaware of Boys State before reading a 2017 Washington Post article about a first in the programs history: Texas voted to succeed. Paul Barker, then Chairman of the American Legion Texas Boys State, was impressed by McBaine and Moss previous film ( "The Overnighters ) and figured a documentary could expand the program. The Texas Boys State, like the national political system, is a skewed representation.